I Am the Weapon, aka Boy Nobody

Starred review from April 29, 2013
Zadoff (Since You Left Me) switches gears and shines in this violent, entertaining twist on the teen spy novel. His unnamed 16-year-old protagonist lost his identity when he was kidnapped and his parents murdered. Forced into a grueling training program, the teen now gets sent on undercover missions, befriending the children of powerful targets, getting invited to their houses, and killing their parents. He never questions his orders or actions until he’s given five days to infiltrate a ritzy private school and kill the mayor of New York City. Between the unreasonably short timetable and his attraction to Sam, the mayor’s gorgeous half-
Israeli daughter, he begins to wonder about his purpose and question the secretive Program that has trained and groomed him. Zadoff doesn’t break new ground, but he builds a tense and exciting story with a strong cast; Sam’s overprotective friend Darius and her frenemy Erica, in particular, are more complex than is typical for characters in those roles. If Zadoff occasionally pushes it with the gadgety spycraft, the blunt and hard-edged narration and twists will keep readers riveted. Ages 15–up. Agent: Stuart Krichevsky, Stuart Krichevsky Agency. (June)■

May 1, 2013
An unnamed teen assassin finds himself torn between a girl and his mission. Zadoff's 16-year-old protagonist saw the life of his father ripped away by a close friend when he was 12. Since then, he's been under the employ of "Mother" and "Father," the heads of an organization that uses children as hired killers. He's one of the best: He's professional and always finishes the job smoothly and cleanly without a mess. The killings all have low levels of blood and gore and usually look like accidents so he can escape the scene without any suspicion. When he's charged with taking out the mayor of New York City, however, things get complicated--especially when he crushes on the mayor's daughter, who goes to his school. Zadoff's chapters are short, staccato and to-the-point, mirroring the narrative voice of his protagonist. His paragraphs rarely run over four lines long. His nameless, tough-as-nails lead character has just the right balance of cunning, heart and conscience to win the respect and admiration of many teen readers, even reluctant ones. The plot speeds along seamlessly with plenty of action and drama, and hairpin turns will keep readers guessing; a twist in the end will have them begging for more. Fast, furious and fun. (Thriller. 14 & up)

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June 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-In this fast-paced thriller, readers quickly learn that 16-year-old "Boy Nobody," a Jason Bourne-like assassin, doesn't have friends. He receives his assignments from a clandestine group called "The Program." Intelligent and skilled in combat, he's been trained to ignore sentiment and emotion in favor of finely tuned instincts and intuition to kill. But nagging questions about his past, The Program, and his role in it are brought to the forefront when his handlers, "Mother" and "Father," give him a new mission on an accelerated time line. The latest target is beautiful Sam Goldberg's father, who's also the lauded mayor of New York City. This novel is predominately narrated by Boy Nobody in first-person present tense (save for the occasional revelatory flashback). The teen characters are world-weary and mature, but at the same time realistically vulnerable and susceptible to manipulation. Sex is suggested or happens off page. With short, action-filled chapters, this is a good choice for reluctant readers. It reads much like popular adult thrillers and will certainly find its way into the hands of guys, but also holds appeal for any suspense-novel fan. Unresolved mysteries and an open-ended conclusion make this a promising start to an exciting new series.-Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2013
Grades 8-12 Boy Nobody is a coldly dispassionate teenage assassin working for a mysterious organization called the Program. When it assigns him his next missionto assassinate the mayor of New Yorkit seems at first like business as usual. But then he meets Sam, the mayor's beautiful daughter. Suddenly, his mission is abruptly changed, and all bets are off. The formerly obedient Boy Nobody begins asking questions that are dangerous to his mission and to himself. Readers may question that a teenager is capable of playing the role assigned to Boy Nobody, but books like these require a suspension of disbelief, and most readers will be willing to make that suspension for the sake of the fast-paced plot and the surprisingly sympathetic protagonist. Operating in the tradition of both James Bond and of Robert Cormier's I Am the Cheese (1977), Boy Nobody is an auspicious first volume in a promised new series of action-adventure thrillers that will keep readers clamoring for more.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2013
Assassin Boy Nobody serves a mysterious organization called The Program, assuming new identities to get close to his targets. When an assignment involving the mayor of New York stirs up memories of Boy Nobody's past, it complicates his mission. Zadoff's action-packed text suffers from excessive exposition, but the book's intriguing concept and unanswered questions set up anticipation for future installments.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)